1. Field
The present specification generally relates to methods for aligning optical component assemblies and, more specifically, to methods for aligning opto-electronic component assemblies on substrates.
2. Technical Background
Opto-electronic component assemblies have a variety of applications in both consumer and industrial electronics. For example, semiconductor laser diodes that emit visible light may be used in sensors, in high density optical storage devices and in projection displays. Further, high power semiconductor laser diodes may be used in material processing applications, patient treatment systems and free space communication systems. In addition to semiconductor laser diodes, such devices may also include additional opto-electronic components such as, for example, lenses, waveguides, and/or various other opto-electronic components that may be required to produce the desired optical output from the devices in which they are incorporated.
The opto-electronic component assemblies may typically be attached or soldered to metal or ceramic substrates to form a sub-assembly. The sub-assembly may then be incorporated into an electronic package where the sub-assembly is aligned with other sub-assemblies and the electronic package itself. In order to ensure proper functionality of the resulting device it is necessary to align the opto-electronic component assemblies with the substrates when building the sub-assembly. The required alignment precision may vary depending on the specific application. For example, for some applications the required alignment precision between the opto-electronic component assemblies and the substrates may be on the order of tens of microns while for other applications the necessary alignment precision may be less than one micron.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved methods of passively aligning opto-electronic component assemblies on substrates to achieve the desired alignment precision.